To reduce child mortality’s heavy toll, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo aims to establish community care sites in all communities which are further than five kilometers from a health service. The sites are run by trained volunteers who can diagnose and treat simple cases of potentially deadly diseases, spot dangerous symptoms and refer patients to health centers for more serious cases when needed.

In 2021, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the Geo-Referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) helped introduce Kadjunga and his team at the ministry of health to the world of geospatial data. Combining satellite data, micropopulation surveys, and modeling, GRID3 produced open-source maps which incorporate a range of metrics such as population and density, infrastructure, and geographic features that are helpful for understanding access to healthcare services.

Photo credit: Clinton Health Access Initiative